


The Legend of the San Jacinto

by hlravensnest_archivist



Category: Highlander: The Raven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2000-12-31
Updated: 2000-12-31
Packaged: 2018-12-16 22:08:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11837994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hlravensnest_archivist/pseuds/hlravensnest_archivist
Summary: Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived atHL Raven's Nest. Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onHL Raven's Nest's collection profile.





	The Legend of the San Jacinto

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [HL Raven's Nest](http://fanlore.org/wiki/HL_Raven%27s_Nest). Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [HL Raven's Nest's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hlravensnest/profile).

The Legend of the San Jacinto by RSS

_The Legend of the San Jacinto_

By RSS 

  


Amanda walks through a museum. Walking by a collection of precious gems, she gives them an admiring glance then she gets back to work. Bert Myers stands a few steps from her. Today her work is security not larceny. She turns to Bert with an observation. "The exhibit owner was right to be worried. The security in this place is a joke. Millions on acquisitions, pennies on security." 

"Don't complain. That's more business for us. Let's tell our client the bad news." 

Nick Wolfe is heading security for the exhibit's transport to the museum. He has been coming in and out of the museum all day. Amanda can sense he is in the building again. They enter the gallery for the special exhibit. Workers are just starting to open the crates. Nick turns around and greets Amanda and Burt. Amanda senses there is a third Immortal in the area. Amanda starts looking around. Then she sees the other Immortal. It's a woman of average height and medium build wearing a woman's pin striped business suit over a white blouse and black pumps with three-inch heels. She looks about thirty, with short curly hair, and just enough makeup to appear business-like. Three older men surround her as they walk. Amanda knows one of them is the museum's director. Bert leads Amanda over to the woman. 

"Ms. Lopez! This is Amanda Montrose. She has been checking out the Museum's security. Amanda this is Teresa Lopez." 

"Pleased to meet you Ms. Montrose." 

" _Buenas tardes!_ " 

Neither Amanda nor Teresa gave a hint they had met before. Amanda remembers her hairdo. It hasn't changed a bit. 

* * *

**_Florida Keys 1958_**

Amanda and Jim Garrison, her boyfriend, negotiate with George Fischer. George wants to rent Jim's boat and services. Amanda's hair is shoulder length platinum blonde. She's wearing dark red lipstick, set off by her white sundress and sandals. 

Jim is a tall man with a good build of thirty-five years. His small mustache fits his roguish personality. A generation ago he would have been a rumrunner. Jim is a small time smuggler who does some legitimate salvage work on the side. Amanda met him last year and he has been a lot of fun to be with. 

George wants to do some treasure hunting. He is an average sized man with a slim build. His face is somewhere between monotonously average and ugly. 

"You'll get that plus thirty percent of the value of whatever we find. It's more than fair." 

"Thirty percent of nothing is nothing. I can get just as much taking tourists fishing. And with them I don't have to do any real work." 

"Now where's the gambler in you?" 

Amanda hears a car pull up then stop. She senses The Quickening and hopes the other Immortal is on vacation. Seconds later the other Immortal opens the door. It's a woman wearing blue jeans, a blue denim shirt, and white sneakers. She doesn't have on an ounce of makeup or perfume. She looks relieved to see Amanda. They have never met but Amanda presumes she doesn't look threatening to this Immortal. George stands to greet the woman. 

"This is Teresa, my partner. Teresa, this is Jim Garrison and Amanda. I hope to rent his boat and their services." 

"Pleased to meet you Amanda, Jim." 

"Why don't you men step outside for a smoke. Maybe Teresa and I can close the deal. You know, girl talk." Jim and George nod their heads and leave the shack. 

"Our offer is more than generous, what is the problem?" asked Teresa. 

"It's a question of a lot of work and a lot of risk. Unless you have some inside information." 

"Did George tell you we will be looking for the _San Jacinto_ that was lost in 1588?" 

"Yes." 

"It has an impressive manifest. The manifest included gold, jewels....and a passenger, Teresa Lopez." 

"You?" 

"Yes. The ship's pilot spent the voyage trying to gain my favor. He taught me about navigation. He did a good job. I know exactly where it went down." 

"It sounds like we have a deal." 

"Not quite. How much does Jim know about us?" 

"Nothing." 

"Neither does George. I want to keep it that way." 

"Fine with me. Let's go tell the boys." Amanda and Teresa step outside. The men look surprised they came out so quickly. Amanda smiles at Jim. 

"What's the deal?" Jim queried, hoping for a good deal. 

"The same as George's final offer." 

"What!" 

"Trust women's intuition, it's a good deal." Jim studies Amanda's face for a few seconds. Then he gives a nod and a smile. 

* * *

The boat is a 40-foot cabin cruiser. It knifes through the blue water on a cloudless summer day. Amanda uses the sunlight to work on her tan, lying on the deck in her red bikini. Teresa walks by on her equipment check. Amanda wonders what Teresa expected to be different from her last equipment check fifteen minutes ago. Amanda decides Teresa's walk around means it's time for Amanda to roll on her back. 

Teresa walks over to Amanda. "Just tell me one thing! Can you dive?" 

Amanda can feel the resentment in Teresa's voice. Amanda sits up, turns her head towards Teresa and looks at her from above her sunglasses. 

"I'll have you know darling, I went down with the **Titanic.** " 

"I didn't ask if you could sink. We aren't snorkeling for seashells. The ship will be in over one hundred feet of water." 

"I can dive." 

"I hope so! We're Immortal, the men aren't! One mistake and they can die!" 

"I told you I can dive." 

"I hope so!" 

Teresa abruptly turns and walks away. Amanda wonders if Teresa ever dated Captain Bligh, but figures she's probably just jealous. She wouldn't have any cause if she would try to make herself look attractive. She has a cute face and a decent figure, with a little effort and personality she could get herself a good man instead of leftovers like George. 

* * *

**_Present Time_**

Amanda wonders whatever happened between her and George. They had been going steady for three years when she met them. The sleeping arrangement on the boat was the provincial girls on one side, boys on the other. 

"We have serious concerns about the security system." Bert began. 

"I see. I would like for Mr. Wolfe and Ms. Montrose to stay here overnight. As per our understanding," Teresa confirmed. The curator and Bert both agreed. "Tomorrow we'll discuss security arrangements for the duration of my exhibit's stay." 

"Of course," obliged the curator. 

"Sounds good to me." 

Teresa hadn't changed at all, still all business. She spent the rest of the afternoon supervising the exhibit's assembly. Teresa didn't say anything to her, but somehow Amanda always felt Teresa's eyes on her. After the workers left, Teresa did a final walk-through, then Teresa announced she is going to leave soon. When Teresa steps out of the exhibit Amanda looks at Nick. "Long day?" 

"Yea, but a pleasant one." 

"You're kidding?" 

"No, it's not often you meet a client who appreciates security." 

Teresa steps back into the gallery. She has on an unbuttoned trench coat. "I heard something." 

"Where?" Nick's guard was instantly raised. 

"Why don't you stay here, Amanda and I can check it out. I would hate to have someone rob the exhibit while the three of us are off on a mouse hunt." Nick nods a grudging approval. "It was this way." 

Amanda leaves the gallery with a very convincing Teresa. If Amanda didn't know better she would have bought it herself. Amanda and Teresa walk parallel to each other through the Arms and Armor gallery section. They pass a display of horse and jousting armor on opposite sides. They watch and listen for any change in movement. When they pass the display Amanda decides to confirm what she already knows. "You didn't hear anything did you?" 

"No." 

Amanda knew this day would come. 

* * *

**_Atlantic Ocean 1958_**

The expedition has just recovered what Teresa believed to be the _San Jacinto's_ third treasure chest. To Amanda it looks like a large clump of barnacles. Teresa has eased off on Amanda since they started recovering artifacts from the ship, but she didn't have any special excitement over the treasure chests. 

George and Teresa carefully chipped away at the barnacles encrusting the treasure chests, then opened them. Two chests had gold and one had jewels. Amanda's eyes sparkled at the jewels in the chest. They would look much better on her than in a museum case. 

That evening Teresa brought out a bottle of champagne. It was a California vintage, nothing spectacular. After a couple of glasses Teresa stepped out of the cabin. She wanted a few minutes alone with the treasure. 

Amanda understood what the men couldn't. Teresa wanted to reacquaint herself with her past. It was something even mortals who know about Immortals can't fully appreciate. Immortals live among mortals. They share many of the same experiences and participate in the same events. Soon the Immortal is the only one alive who participated in these events, their deceased mortal friends long forgotten. Even their descendants don't know they ever existed. That's why these artifacts are important to Teresa. She knows once more people will know about the passengers and crew of the _San Jacinto._

After Teresa leaves, George looks from side to side. It's as if he expects to find someone else watching. Then he puts his face close to Jim and Amanda. 

"You know the government will claim a big chunk of this?" 

Amanda and Jim know George is up to something. Jim gives a casual nod. "Yes, the government always does want a dollar out of whatever you do." 

"Teresa is too much of a straight arrow to go along with something like this." 

"Like what?" 

"I didn't hire you because of your expertise in ocean salvage." 

"Then why did you hire me?" 

"I did some asking around, I know what you really do. I put in a call to someone else I found out about. He will rendezvous with us tomorrow morning. We load the chests onto his boat, and you take off with him. I've got a grand on this boat. I pay him the grand when we rendezvous. You pay him nine grand when you land in Florida. He doesn't know what we are taking. We'll split what we get for the chests sixty-forty. You get the sixty." 

"Why so generous?" 

"We will report we got robbed. That is what Teresa will think. It will compensate you for the nine grand and your boat. What do you say?" 

"OK. How do we keep Teresa in the dark?" 

"I'll slip her a mickey. When she wakes up, I'll tell her you did it to both of us and made off with the chests." 

"It seems you have this all planned out." 

"That's another thing Teresa and I have in common. We're both very thorough." 

Amanda interjects. "So you get forty percent of the gold and jewels and you share fifty percent of the rest of the junk with Teresa." 

"No, it's not like that at all. I plan to marry her. I'll tell her a rich relative died and left me an inheritance. As an archeologist, Teresa is more interested in that junk, as you call it, than the gold and jewels." 

"Amanda, I'm ashamed of you. Can't you tell they are in love? Teresa is quite a woman. I understand you want to feel worthy of her." Jim chided. 

"Yea, that's right." 

"To business. This guy who's going to pick us up, who is he?" asked Amanda. 

"His name is Gorrini. Likes to be called Sailor. You know him?" 

"Yea, I know him. OK, let's work out the details." Amanda knows Sal "Sailor" Gorrini. He's a hoodlum with a boat, a wannabe smuggler always asking Jim for work. Jim and George work out the details. Amanda is surprised at how amenable Jim is to how George wants it to happen. After they work out the details George fills two glasses with champagne. He puts a pill in one of the glasses, then leaves to join Teresa on deck. 

* * *

The next morning Gorrini's boat pulls alongside Jim's. Gorrini's boat is a small cabin cruiser that has made a good home for numerous barnacles and termites. George secures the two boats together and greets Gorrini. Meanwhile, as planned, Amanda goes into the wheelhouse and disables the radio while Jim goes below to disable the engine. A few minutes later they are back on deck. They load three crates containing the chests into Gorrini's boat. Everything went according to plan. Then Jim pulls out a gun. This wasn't part of the plan. 

"One of you has a thousand dollars. Kindly hand it over to Amanda. Don't try anything funny. I won't miss at this range." 

Gorrini takes out a wad of cash. Amanda casually plucks it from his hand. 

"Get on the boat Amanda." 

Amanda jumps down to Gorrini's boat. Jim jumps down after her. "Start the motor." 

Jim unties the boat and takes the wheel. As they pull away from the boat Amanda asks "Why did you do it?" 

"If I'm not going to share it with the government why should I share it with them?" 

"Why are you sharing with me?" 

"Well there are other compensations besides money. Besides they are amateurs. They need to be taught a lesson. Amateur competition has ruined many a good profession. I heard Brazil is nice this time of year." 

"I guess I'll have to brush up on my Portuguese." Amanda knows she will have to figure out what she is going to say if she ever meets Teresa again. 

* * *

**_Present Time_**

Jim didn't know it but there was a cancer inside him. He died in 1961. 

Amanda tries to stall for time. "Maybe we should take this outside. It would be a shame to ruin any of these artifacts." 

"It would, be but I'm not going to give you the chance of darting to a public area or holy ground. It ends tonight." 

They walk into a large gallery that only has a few paintings on the walls. Teresa steps out of her pumps. She didn't even break her stride. Teresa has chosen her ground. 

"Listen, I have some money! I can pay you back!" 

"You murdered two men and you think I care about money! You are a despicable form of life." 

"What do you mean?" 

"You sabotaged the boat! We had no radio! No flares! George and the other man, Sal, lingered in the water for a few days before they died!" 

"The boat was disabled but it wasn't meant to sink." 

"What do you think happens to a boat when you put a hole in it?" 

Amanda realizes Jim made her an unwitting accomplice to murder. Jim's long agonizing death was poetic justice. Teresa intends to extract another kind of justice. "I didn't know! I swear I didn't know!" 

"Liar!" Teresa slips the right sleeve of her raincoat, then reaches inside her raincoat. Teresa pulls out her sword, a _Colanda Del Cid._ Her raincoat drops to the floor. She isn't wearing her blazer and she has cut off the right sleeve of her blouse. 

Amanda draws her broadsword. Then Amanda drops her broadsword on the floor. 

"Spare me your childish tricks. We are both too old for them." 

"It's no trick." 

"Pick up your sword." 

"Do what you feel you must but I'm not going to fight you." 

"Pick it up!" Teresa takes two swings with her sword. "I said pick it up!" 

Teresa steps closer, swinging again. This time the sword misses Amanda's neck by inches. It was difficult for Amanda to keep from flinching. Amanda realizes she is only alive by Teresa's choice. Teresa's face is red. Amanda can tell Teresa is torn between her need for vengeance and her moral objection to cold-blooded murder. 

Teresa takes a couple of steps back. Then she pivots and jumps. Amanda sees Teresa's target. It's Nick! She kicks the gun out of Nick's hand. Then she follows up with a backhanded punch with her sword hand and a roundhouse kick, both blows hit Nick's head. Nick staggers backwards before he finds his footing. A lesser man would be on the ground. Teresa has the point of her sword at Nick's throat. 

"You killed my man and I kill yours. That sounds fair." 

"Nick is just an acquaintance and sometime partner! He has nothing to do with this!" 

"You should give up lying. You're very bad at it." Teresa steps backwards. 

"You! Draw your sword. Nick, fight like a man or die like a dog. Now, draw your sword." 

"I don't have one." 

Teresa steps aside and tilts her head towards the Arms and Armor gallery. "Get one." 

There is an almost playful tone in her voice. Nick walks into the gallery, Teresa following at a discreet distance. She obviously intends to make it a "fair" fight. There is nothing fair about the fight. It's someone with centuries of training and experience against an opponent who barely knows how to hold a sword. Nick picks out a rapier from a sword display. Teresa puts her sword by her side as Nick makes his stance. 

Then Teresa goes on the attack. Three swings later Nick's sword is skidding across the floor. 

"Don't just stand there. Go and get it." 

Teresa still has that playful tone in her voice. Nick retrieves his sword. Seconds later Teresa knocks Nick's sword to the ground. Teresa steps back and in the same tone says, "Well, pick it up." 

Amanda realizes she is playing with him as a cat would play with a mouse, understanding Teresa wants Amanda to suffer. Amanda picks up her sword as Teresa runs Nick through. Nick drops his sword and clutches his chest. He staggers backwards until he bumps into a wall and slowly slides to the floor. 

"If you kill him --" 

"You'll kill me? He'll still be dead. Fight me and he lives." 

"Win or lose?" 

"Yes, I have nothing against him. Except perhaps his taste in women." 

"Let's get on with it!" 

Teresa kisses her sword's hilt. She pauses a second then goes on the attack. Teresa's attack drives Amanda back into the open gallery. Amanda sidesteps and goes on the attack. Teresa traps Amanda's sword. Then Teresa spins around. 

Amanda anticipated this move. She steps back, envelops Teresa's sword, brings it to one side and disarms Teresa. Teresa cartwheels away from Amanda. Teresa picks up her coat and throws it at Amanda and races for her sword. She picks up her sword and makes a quick thrust at Amanda. Amanda had stopped just in time. One step more and Teresa's sword would have impaled her. 

The women circle each other, each making a series of feints. Amanda realizes she can't take Teresa lightly. Teresa apparently feels the same about Amanda. Teresa goes on the attack again. 

The fight continues as a series of parries and thrusts, attacks and counter attacks. Finally one of Amanda's thrusts strikes Teresa's upper abdomen. Teresa lets out a gasp, drops her sword, and falls on all fours. 

"I will join you my love." 

Amanda feels pity for the woman. "Maybe, but not tonight." A few seconds later Teresa rolls to the ground. Amanda hears her dying gasps. 

Amanda walks over to Nick. She puts one hand on his wound and kisses his forehead, and waits. Soon Nick takes a deep breath. 

"Welcome back Nick." 

Nick nods. He looks over at Teresa. He can only see her legs. Then Amanda realizes there are a few more things she has to tell him. 

"She's alive. If she wasn't you would know it. Why did you come?" 

"I noticed when she came back she wasn't wearing hose. She was wearing them earlier." 

"Very observant." 

"Then I read one of the panels. It said in 1958 a boat went looking for the _San Jacinto,_ but never returned. Soon after that, jewelry from the _San Jacinto_ started showing up on the black market. The _San Jacinto_ artifacts were found on the wreck of this vessel. Something told me you had something to do with it and she didn't have a run in her stockings." 

"Nick, believe me, I didn't know anyone died." 

"I believe you Amanda. I know you're not a murderer." 

Amanda finds Nick's faith in her reassuring. "I think it's best if I'm not around when she wakes up. Don't worry she's not a murderer either. Tell Bert I had a headache or something." 

"Sure." 

* * *

**_Epilogue_**

A Quickening awakes Amanda. It's worse than an alarm clock. She looks at her clock, 7:15. She knows it has to be Nick. Who else would be here so early? Amanda puts on her feather trimmed robe and slips into the matching slippers and steps outside her suite. She meets Nick at the head of the stairs and leads him into her suite. 

"I told Bert you had a headache, but I thought it was a case of workitis. I figured that would sound more feasible to Bert." 

"He knows me too well. Maybe I should kill him." 

"Teresa told me she knows she owes you her life." 

"I like the way she does math." 

"She swore she wasn't going to kill me. She gave me the grand tour of her exhibit. I called Bert. Teresa and I talked for a while, then she left. She's a nice person." 

"I know. I hope she finds someone." 

Nick smiles. "Before she left she said what she usually tells young Immortals, 'Watch your head.' In my case, since I'm with you, she told me 'Watch your back' is probably more appropriate." 

"You defended my honor I presume?" 

"No, I told her I already knew that." Amanda grabs a pillow off a couch and playfully throws it at Nick. 

_THE END_

* * *

© 2000   
Please send comments to the author! 

* * *


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